Process of recovering beryllium from ores, minerals, and other materials



UNITED STATES HAROLD S. BOOTH, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK, AND

CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PROCESS OF RECOVERING BERYLLIUM FROM ORES,

MATERIALS.

No Drawing.

To (/77 w/mm it may concern Be it known that we, HAROLD S. BOOTH and Gnonon G. LIARSHALL,.cltlZeIlS of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, and Cleveland, in the county of (uyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Recovering Beryllium from Ores, Minerals, and other ll'laterials, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a process for the recoxery of beryllium from ores, minerals and other materials in which it may be found.

This application is a-continuation of certain portions of our co-pending application, Serial No. 204,004, filed Nov. 26, 1917.

The most usual form in which beryllium is found in nature is as the mineral beryl, which is usually expressed by the formula Be,Al,(SiO,)6, and the various reactions which will be herein discussed with respect to the process are based upon the recovery of beryllium from this mineral. However, no limitation is intended to be implied from this fact, as the success of the process herein disclosed does-not depend upon the particular mineral used but upon the fact that a beryllium containing material will under the proper conditons react with a halogen and form a halogen compound of beryllium which may be recovered in several different ways.

In the application before mentioned we particularly pointed out the manner in which a beryllium containing material could be mixed with a halogen compound such as sodium chlorid "or calcium chlorid, and by the application of suitable heat, beryllium chlorid would be formed which could be recovered.

Briefly stated, this process consists in mixing the mineral in suitably crushed form with a halogen com ound such as calcium chlorid or sodium 0 lorid, preferably having the materials in anhydrous condition, and also having silica present, either as a part of the original material contain ing beryllium, or added thereto, and charging the mixture into an electric furnace, heating the mixture, to a proper temperature in the neighborhood of 1500 C, under Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 16, 191 8.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921. Serial No. 258,446.

which conditions there is produced beryllium chlorid which is i volatilizing the chlorid the furnace, and subsequently treating this mass to recover the beryllium chlorid.

If aluminum is also present with the berylllum containing material the aluminum can be recovered along with the beryllium chlorid, and subsequently separated there from. The process set forth in this application involves the use of a halogen in its elemental form, and the halogen most convenient for use is chlorin, although the other members of the halogen group or family respond by the same reactions with beryllium containing material.

he procedure in utilizing chlorin gas in order to effect the reaction of the process is very similar to that which is described with respect to the use of a salt such as sodium or calcium chlorid.

The material is first crushed to a suitable degree of fineness, and carbon is mixed with it. Preferably the materials are prepared to be in anhydrous condition. Silicon must be present either as an ingredient of the original mineral or material used, or must be added in the form of silica. The material is charged into an electric furnace, and the temperature of the furnace is raised sufficiently, about 1500 (3., so that when chlorin gas is passed into the heated mass, reaction will proceed. The temerature of reaction is in the neighborood of 1500 C. This results in breaking up the beryllium aluminum silicate as the chlorin has great affinity for beryllium and aluminum, and the reaction results in the chlorid, aluminum formation of'beryllium silicon and carbon chlorid, and chloride of monoxid.

The reaction thus described may be expressed by the following empirical formala and reaction:

Be,A1, sio, 3601-1- 1so SBeOl, 211101, esioi, 1800.

It is preferable, although not essential, to add carbon in some form to the furnace charge. The carbon assists in making the furnace charge a better conductor of electric current.

The temperature of the furnace and the reaction proceedings may be maintained such that the aluminum chlorid and beryllium chlorid is not volatilized. Under these circumstances the silicon tetra chlorid is volatilized and is collected by a suitable condensing apparatus. The beryllium chlorid and aluminum chlorid may be subsequently recovered from the mass as by a leaching process.

As an alternative procedure, the temperature of the furnace is raised sufficiently high to volatilize all the chlorids present, and the chlorids of aluminum and beryllium may be separated from the silicon tetra chlorid by a suitable arrangement of condensers to obtain fractional condensation. The silicon tetra chlorid condenses at a temperature below that at which the aluminum and beryllium chlorid condense.

The beryllium and aluminum chlorids thus collected may be separated in any desired manner. The chlorid of aluminum volatilizes at a lower temperature than the chlorid of beryllium. Consequently, the electric furnace may be first operated to volatilize the silicon tetra chlorid and when this is completed the temperature raised sufficiently to volatilize the aluminum chlorid, but not the beryllium chlorid, and after the alu- "minum chlorid is volatilized the temperature raised sufficiently to volatilize the beryllium chlorid.

Where desired the process used for the recovery of beryllium may utilize as a first step the use of a halogen compound of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, such as sodium chlorid or calcium chlorid, the halogen compound being present only in sufficient quanties to react with the aluminum, and as a later step in the rocess a halogen such as chlorin gas be used? In this reaction silica must be present either as a part of thepriginal material or added.

As an example, beryl is mixed with a chlorid, such as calcium chlorid, carbon being present. The amount of calcium chlorid used is the calculated amount to react with the aluminum present, to form aluminum chlorid. This mixture is placed in an electric furnace and sufficient heat developed to cause reaction to proceed. As a result of this reaction aluminum chlorid is formed,

together with calcium silicate and beryllium silicate. The temperature of the furnace is then raised sufficiently high so that the aluminum chlorid is volatilized leaving the beryllium silicate in the mass.

After the aluminum chlorid has been volatilized the temperature of the furnace is raised, carbon may be added where desired where there is not sufficient carbon remaining from the original furnace charge, and chlorin gas passed into the residue in the furnace. This produces beryllium chlorid, silicon tetra chlorid, calcium silicate, and carbon monoxid. The temperature of the furnace is controlled so that either the beryllium chlorid is volatilized and collected, or the temperature of the furnace is kept below the volatilizing point of beryllium chlorid, so that the beryllium chlorid remains in the mass within the furnace, from which it may be recovered by any desired method, as by leaching.

The reaction forming the second step of the process just described may be indicated by the empirical formula and equation as follows:

3CaSiO 3BeSiO 901 90- 3CaSiO 3SiCl 3BeCl 9C0.

If desired the same result as expressed in the foregoing two step process may be ob tained in a single reaction within the electric furnace at sufficiently high temperature.

Under such circumstances aluminum chlorid, beryllium chlorid, and silicon tetra chlorid are produced and may be recovered by fractional condensation, or if the temperature of the furnace be not sufficiently high to volatilize the aluminum chlorid and beryllium chlorid, these may be recovered from the reacted mass. The reaction with respect to the foregoing procedure may be expressed empirically as follows:

When this reaction is concluded chlorin gas is passed into the heated mass which results in the following reaction:

GBeC, are, 12Si0 3601 613601 4A1c1, 12Si0l, 270.

These two steps may be combined as in one reactlon, as follows lVhich is the reaction first explained.

hen the reaction proceeds a cording to the last formula the temperature at which llt the reaction is caused to proceed may be 2. The process of recovering beryllium as sufliciently high so that the chlorid of a salt of beryllium from an ore, mineral beryllium and aluminum are volatilized and or material containing the same, which consubsequently recovered by fractional consists in heating the beryllium containing densation or the reaction may be caused to material to a sufiicient degree and causing it proceed at such a temperature as will cause to react with chlorin, thereby forming a the aluminum chlorid to be first volat-ilized chlorid of beryllium, and in recovering the and after the volatilization of the aluminum beryllium chlorid. chlorid the temperature of the furnace may 3. The process of recovering beryllium as be raised sufliciently to cause the beryllium a salt of beryllium from an ore, mineral chlorid to be volatilized. or material containing the same, Which con- On the other hand, the t mp rature of sists in adding to said material carbon, the reaction may be maintained at such a heating the mixture, and causing the same degree as that the chloride of aluminum and to re t Wi h a halogen thereby to form a beryllium Will not be volatilized, but sufiihaloid 0f bePVHium and repove'ring the ciently high to cause reaction to proceed, in beryllium haloid.

WhlCh event th hlerid f b lli d 4. The process of recovering beryllium as aluminum will remain inthe reacted mass & silltof y l m from an 0P6, mineral and may b recovered in any uitable maIlmaterial COIltHlnlIlg the same, which COH- ner h as l hi SlStS in adding carbon to the said material,

A f th examples f th li ti heating the mixture to a sufiicient degree, f our process t b lli m b i t and supplying chlorid to the heated mass rials, We mention chrysoberyl which is yf t a chlorid 0f beryllium, and Be(AlO and phenacite Which is Be SiO recovel'lng sald Chlorld of berylhum- These minerals respond to our process as P Q of recovering beryllium before described according to the following from an Ore, Funeral material contaimng reactions; the slame, wgich consists in heating the materia in an ydrous condition, su lyin a BEKAIOZ) 2+4C12+4On4 B601 2 A101 +400 halogen to the heated material, iiihinta in- 2 3 ing sufficient temperature to cause the haloid B 1 +4Cl +4C of beryllium formed to volatilize, and col- 213eC12+S1C14+4CQ lecting the volatilized haloid.

' As before stated, the materials which enter 6. The process of recovering beryllium into the furnace charge should be properly from an ore, mineral or material containing dried so as tq be anhydrous. If this i not the same, which consists in heating the ma done the presence of water will cause the t ri l 1 hy r us condition and supplychlorids to be hydrolized, forming hydro-' lng chlorin to the heated mass, maintaining chloric acid, Which will pass from the fursuflicient temperature to cause the chlorid nace as a gas, and there will also be formed of beryllium formed to volatilize, and colberyllium hydrate and aluminum hydrate. lectlng the volatilized chlorid.

he amount of hydrolyzing action which 7. he process of recovering beryllium takes place will be in proportion to the from an ore, mineral or material containing amount of water present. Of course, the the same, which consists in adding carbon beryllium hydrate and aluminum hydrate to the material, having silica present, heatremain in the mass within the furnace, and mg the mixture and supplying a halogen to can be subsequently recovered. the said material thereby forming a haloid If desired, a sufficient amount of moisture of beryllium, and in recovering the berylmay be initially introduced into the furlium haloid. nace charge to cause a complete hydrolyzing 8. The process of recovering beryllium action with respect tothe beryllium chlorid from an ore, mineral or material containing and aluminum chlorid. But this process is the same, which consists in adding carbon not so desirable as where the materials are to the material, having silica present, heatdry and the aluminum and beryllium are ing the mixture, supplying chlorin to the recovered by causing the chlorids to be volaheated mixture thereby to form a chlorid of tilized and subsequently collected. beryllium and recovering the beryllium aving described our invention, we claim: chlorid- 1. he process of recovering beryllium as 9. The process of recovering beryllium a salt of beryllium from an ore, mineral or from an ore, mineral or material containing material containin the same, which com the same,-which consists in mixing a halogen sists in heating t e beryllium containing salt with'said material, which salt will rematerial to a sufiicient temperature and act with the beryllium to form a volatile causing the same toreact with a halogen, haloid, having carbon present and having thereby to form a haloid of beryllium, and silica present, heating the materials to a recovering the beryllium haloid formed. temperature at which reaction proceeds,

supplying a halogen to the heated mass thereby forming a haloid of beryllium, and collecting the beryllium haloid formed.

10. The process of recovering beryllium from an ore, mineral or material containing the same, which consists in adding to said material a chlorid, which chlorid will react with beryllium to form a volatile haloid, also adding carbon, having silica present, heating the mass to a temperature at which reaction proceeds, supplying chlorin to the heated mass thereby forming beryllium chorid, and recovering the beryllium chlor1 1 1. The process of recovering beryllium from an ore, mineral or material containing the beryllium and aluminum, which consists in adding to said material a halogen salt in sufficient quantity to react with the aluminum present and form a volatile haloid, having silica present, heating the said material to the temperature at which reaction proceeds whereby aluminum chlorid is formed, removing the aluminum chlorid thus formed, mixing the residue with carbon, heating the same, supplying a halogen to said heated mass thereby forming a haloid of beryllium and recovering the beryllium haloid.

12. The process of recovering beryllium from an ore, mineral or material containing beryllium and aluminum, which consists in mixing a chlorid which will react with the aluminum contained in the said material, having silica present, heating the same to a temperature at which reaction proceeds, whereby aluminum chlorid is formed, removing the said aluminum chlorid, heating the remaining mass with carbon present, and supplying chlorin to the heated mass thereby to form beryllium chlorid, and recovering the beryllium chlorid.

13. The process of recovering beryllium from an ore, mineral or material containing beryllium and aluminum, which consists in mixing with said material a chlorid which will react with the aluminum and only in sufficient quantity to react with the aluminum, having silica present, heating the mixture in anhydrous condition to a temperature at which reaction proceeds, and sufficiently high to cause the volatilization of aluminum chlorid, further heating the said material, having carbon present, and supplying chlorin to the heated mass thereby forming beryllium chlorid, and recovering the beryllium chlorid.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix our signatures.

HAROLD S. BOOTH. GEORGE G. MARSHALL. 

